Notre Dame will host the 2015 NCAA hockey regionals at the Compton Family Ice Arena.

Dec. 11, 2013

Indianapolis, Ind. -
The NCAA on Wednesday announced 523 sites have been awarded as hosts for 82 of its 89 championships for the 2014-18 seasons, making it the largest collection of host site announcements in association history.

When the announcements were finished, the University of Notre Dame found out that it would serve as the host school for a pair of NCAA championships during the 2016-17 season. Notre Dame was selected to host the NCAA Fencing Championships along with the Indiana Sports Commission at the Fishers S&E Center in Fishers, Ind., from March 23-26, 2017. In April of 2017, the Irish will team up with the Chicago Sports Commission to serve as hosts of the 2017 Frozen Four to be held at Chicago's United Center, April 6-8.

"We are honored to have been given the chance to serve as a host city for these prestigious NCAA events," Sam Stark, Executive Director of the Chicago Sports Commission, said.

"We cannot thank our university and venue partners enough for their support throughout this bid process, and are excited that our efforts were rewarded."

The NCAA also announced the site of its men's hockey regionals for the 2014-15 and 2015-16 season and this time the selection was closer to home as Notre Dame found out that it would be hosting a 2015 hockey regional on campus at the Compton Family Ice Arena, a first for the new building that opened in October of 2011.

Joining the Compton Center as regional hosts the weekend of March 27-29, 2015 are the Dunkin Donuts Center in Providence, R.I. with Brown University serving as host; Scheels Arena in Fargo, N.D., with the University of North Dakota hosting and the Verizon Center in Manchester, N.H., with the University of New Hampshire as the host school.

"We have such a tremendous building here. It's a great opportunity for our fans and for the community to see an NCAA hockey regional. This is a big deal," said Irish coach Jeff Jackson.

"It's important for our fans, our alumni and the community back this tournament. There is no guarantee that we will be in it. It will be great hockey, some of the best ever played in this building and hopefully we will be a part of it. This is a great thing for the Michiana area to see NCAA regional hockey. Sometimes its the best hockey of the year as teams try to advance to the Frozen Four."

Notre Dame has served as hosts for fencing in the past with nine different NCAA Championships held at the Joyce Center and St. Mary's College (1970, 1977, 1982, 1985, 1987, 1990, 1992, 1995 and 1998).

This will mark the second time that Notre Dame has hosted a hockey regional as the University served as host of the 2010 NCAA Midwest Regionals at the Allen Country War Memorial Coliseum in Ft. Wayne, Ind.

Earlier this year, it was announced that Notre Dame would serve as one of four host sites for the 2014 NCAA Division I Women's Basketball Championship. Games will be played at the 9,149-seat Purcell Pavilion at the Joyce Center on either March 29 & 31 or March 30 & April 1. This is the second regional hosted by the University with the first coming in 1983. The Irish also have played host to first-and-second round games on seven different occasions.

The 2017 Frozen Four host venue, the United Center, is a state-of-the-art, 960,000 square-foot multi-use entertainment facility that has welcomed over 40 million fans since opening in 1994. Home of the Chicago Blackhawks of the National Hockey League and the Chicago Bulls of the National Basketball Association, the United Center hosts over 200 events each year, including the best musical performers, sporting events, family shows, and special events in the industry.

"We are incredibly proud to welcome the Frozen Four to the United Center in 2017," said Blackhawks Chairman Rocky Wirtz.

"Along with our partner, the University of Notre Dame, we cannot think of a better hockey community to host this national championship and know what a powerful economic impact it will have on the City of Chicago. Since privately built in 1994, the United Center and the west side of Chicago have been home to countless memorable moments and we have no doubt that this marquee event will add to that legacy."